MEDIA RELEASE

Tobago revives in-person global tourism marketing strategies

SCARBOROUGH Tobago, Friday December 16, 2022: The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL)
has set in motion a multi-platform marketing strategy to reignite interest in destination Tobago, and lay
the foundation for increased visitor arrivals from key overseas markets. In a timely evolution from mostly
digital and remote marketing engagement strategies employed during the height of the pandemic, the
Agency has reengaged the international travel trade by resuming attendance to key tourism industry
networking and promotional events across in visitor source markets across the globe.

United Kingdom
Following a successful showing at WTM London from November 7-9, TTAL partnered with BBC
Wildlife and affiliate partner magazines to host a bespoke event on November 10 designed to promote
awareness of Tobago as a potential holiday destination among readers, and capture leads for future
bookings. The highly engaged audience enjoyed an interactive interview panel exploring Tobago’s
touristic attributes featuring TTAL Executive Chairman Alicia Edwards and local tour guide William
Trim, with contributions by Tobago’s Chief Secretary, the Hon. Farley Augustine. The event also
included key aspects of Tobago’s culture through live entertainment and culinary delicacies to entice
attendees with a taste of Tobago

TTAL also hosted a highly engaging travel agent training and networking event in London pre-WTM on
November 3, which allowed for focused, one-to-one interactions with over 30 travel agents and UK-based
hotel representatives. The TTAL team presented on destination Tobago’s and its core attractors, engaging
attendees with the sights and sounds of the island with cultural entertainment and Tobago-themed cuisine.
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These activities followed TTAL’s prior niche-market engagement in the UK at the National Wedding
Show, held on October 15 and 16 in Excel London. The UK National Wedding show is the largest
wedding trade show in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe. As the wedding market has
been identified by TTAL as a key area of focus for Tobago’s tourism growth, TTAL’s participation
helped to build consumer and travel trade awareness of the islands as a prospective destination for
romantic holidays.

North America
Over in the USA, Destination Tobago was represented at this year’s Diving Equipment and Marketing
Association (DEMA) Show from November 1 to 4 in Orlando, Florida. TTAL officials attended along
with members of the Tobago Dive Association to create business linkages and explore new opportunities
for the destination in dive tourism. The 4-day event brought together key members of the international
dive industry, including retailers, tour operators and destination promoters. As the main hub for
professional divers to garner insights on traveling to the best diving destinations in the world, DEMA
Show was a key platform for TTAL to promote Tobago’s globally competitive dive product.

Commenting on TTAL’s resumption of in-person engagement strategies and their importance, Executive
Chairman Ms. Alicia Edwards stated:

“A return to live events that target niche industry operators and consumers is a worthwhile endeavour in
our goal of placing destination Tobago within the consideration set of travellers in our target markets.
TTAL will continue to seek out and participate in relevant global trade events that have the potential to
bolster bookings to our unspoilt island, and drive much-needed business opportunities to our local
tourism enterprises.”

In additional strategic efforts to boost arrivals to Tobago, the Agency continues to work towards finding
best-practice solutions for airlift and connectivity issues that limit the tourism industry’s growth potential.
As such, TTAL partnered with the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago to attend the Routes World
Forum in Las Vegas from October 16-18, 2022. Tobago’s tourism officials gained exclusive insight from
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airline CEOs and industry heavyweights as they discussed the current state of the industry, and the actions
that must be taken to stimulate post-Covid recovery and increase airlift.

In looking at arrivals to the destination holistically, TTAL also sought to harness the potential from cruise
business across the region by attending this year’s Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA)
Conference in the Dominican Republic from October 11 to 14. The FCCA Cruise Conference is the only
official cruise conference representing the Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America, designed
to foster a better understanding of the cruise industry and help attendees improve their cruise tourism
business.

The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited continues to work assiduously on behalf of Tobago to get tourism
in Tobago back to where it should be once again, combining established marketing best-practices with
evolved post-COVID engagement strategies to increase destination Tobago’s global competitiveness in
travel and tourism.

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IMAGES ATTACHED
TR1: The audience and panel take in the National Geographic documentary “Tobago: Full of Life” before the
discussion at the BBC Wildlife reader’s event in London on November 10.

TR2: TTAL Executive Chairman Alicia Edwards addresses the audience during the reader’s event.

TR3: Panellists and dignitaries during the reader’s event. (Left to right) Nadine Rankin, CEO of AMG Ltd, Tobago
UK representatives; panel host Stephanie Cooper, Group Editor, BBC Worldwide; Councillor Tashia Burris,
Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation; Chief Secretary Farley Augustine; Executive
Chairman Alicia Edwards; expert Tobago guide William Trim.

TR4: Adana Roberts and cultural performers from the Tobago Performing Arts Company give attendees at the
readers event a taste of Tobago on November 10.

TR5: Stephen Smith of AMG Ltd enlightens the audience about Tobago’s tourism offerings at a training and
networking event in London on November 3.
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TR6: TTAL Marketing Officer Marsha Patrick (left) and Tobago hotelier Nalini Galbaransingh present an award to
a participating travel agent at the training and networking event on November 3.

TR7: TTAL officials and Tobago dive operators engage with DEMA Show 2022 attendees in Florida.

TR8: The Tobago delegation at DEMA Show 2022 meet with North America's leading dive travel agency
Caradonna Adventures.

TR9: Asha Mars-Lewis, TTAL Board Director (right) meets with a cople on Tobago’s stand at the UK National
Wedding Show 2022.

TR10: Tobago’s delegation at the UK National Wedding Show: (left to right) Marsha Patrick, TTAL Marketing
Officer, Sangita Makwana and Stephen Smith of AMG Ltd, a representative from booking partner Kentwood
Travel, and Asha Mars-Lewis, TTAL Board Director.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Tobago Tourism Agency Limited
Telephone: 1 (868) 612-8825 ext. 2010
Email: communications@tobagotourism.org

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